


Wolves Who Lead Wolves

by Unicorn_Ninja



Category: Jeffrey Dean Morgan - Fandom, Supernatural, The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms, The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Adoption, Baseball, Daddy Kink, Eventual implied smut, F/M, Flashbacks, Inspired by The Walking Dead, Loss of Parent(s), Loss of Virginity, Lucille - Freeform, Lucille is dead, Negan (Walking Dead) Swears, Negan knows he’s an ass, OFC is a BAMF, Plot, Possessive Negan (Walking Dead), Set in the South, Sex Education, Slow Burn, Spanking, Sweet Negan (Walking Dead), Tennessee - Freeform, Wedding Night, Weddings, a little au, a lot AU, as always, bad at tags, creepy mustache, glen will not die, medical references, negan’s backstory, please comment, possessive ofc, pre-Sanctuary, school nurse, school teacher negan, simon - Freeform, tagging random stuff now
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-20
Updated: 2018-03-30
Packaged: 2019-04-04 22:59:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14030721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unicorn_Ninja/pseuds/Unicorn_Ninja
Summary: Elara is a small town girl with a sad past who has just been given everything she has always wanted, when the world collapses. Will her new marriage survive the changes that occur? Will the world change her?





	1. Calhoun

**Author's Note:**

> “There are wolves who lead sheep, and there are wolves who lead wolves.”
> 
> DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE NOT AN ADULT

She ran her fingers along the wall as she walked down the hallway of Calhoun School, a small town, public k-12 school in rural Tennessee. El has been working as the school nurse here for five years, but her roots run so much deeper than that. Before she was an employee, she was a student. 

She paused as she passed the room she went to Kindergarten in and waved to Mrs. Hutchinson. Mrs. Hutchinson had been freshly graduated and married when Elara’s family moved to Calhoun County in the middle of the school year. Mrs. Hutchinson had made Elara feel at ease immediately when she demanded a retake of the photo of her in inaugural class.

The door opened, pulling Elara from her memories. 

“Hello, dear!” Mrs. Hutchison exclaimed hugging El tight. 

“Hey, Mrs. Hutchinson,” El breathed, strangled by the tight hug. 

“Honey, please. You’re grown! You can call me Leslie. I’ve told you a hundred times,” Mrs. Hutchinson beamed. 

“I know you said that, “ Elara said, slowly, “but mama didn’t raise me like that, ma’am. She’d have my hind end if she knew I called you Leslie. Mama always said I’d never be too old for her to pull me across her lap!” 

Mrs. Hutchinson threw her head back in laughter.  
“I know, I know. Your mama sure was a hoot. I’m sure she’s very proud of you.” Elara smiled, sadly.  
“Hey, no sad faces, El! It’s your wedding day!” Elara immediately pulled her shoulders back, a smile stretching ear to ear, exposing her one dimple on her left cheek. 

“I know, Mrs. Hutchinson. One o’clock can’t get here fast enough!” El almost screamed, placing her hand on her chest to calm herself down. 

It was the last day of school before Christmas Break, which meant the kids got out a little early. Because El and her fiancé both worked at the school, it seemed like the perfect day to make their vows to each other. 

“Honey, are you sure you don’t even want a reception when you get back from the honeymoon? It’s just, getting married at the courthouse in the middle of the day... you know how people ‘round here can be,” Mrs. Hutchinson whispered, placing her hand lightly on El’s forearm. 

Elara smiled, “Well, Mrs. Hutchinson, they’ll just have to talk. They need something to keep ‘em busy anyway! Besides, we aren’t your traditional couple.” 

Mrs. Hutchinson laughed, “Oh, Honey, I know that. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but he’s well old enough to be your daddy.” She chuckled, but El only smiled. They had never felt the age gap. It always just felt right. “If you’re sure about the reception though, I’ll drop it. What are you even doing here today? You should be off getting pampered! And what if he sees you, y’know it’s bad luck for the groom to see his bride before the weddin’!”

“I know I know,” El said, looking away, “but he’s gonna see me anyway. I have to go help him teach the Sex Ed class this afternoon.” 

Mrs. Hutchinson face flamed red. “Well you tell those hoodlums to keep it in their pants! I retire in 10 years and I am tired of having parents needing class excuses for parent conferences!” She was so serious, but El couldn’t help but laugh. 

She turned down the hall toward the gym, “I’ll see you later, Mrs. Hutchinson!”

El opened the double doors to the empty gym and checked her watch. Twenty minutes early, just like she’d intended. The kids are at lunch and she, well she was going to pay a little visit to see her fiancé.

She rounded the corner and knocked on the office door. 

“Come in!” His gruff voice commanded. She shivered. It amazed her how he could say any old thing, and it would send electricity down her spine. She opened the door slowly sticking her head in first before opening it all the way. There he was, sitting behind his desk eating lunch. His grey spandex shirt stretched across chest exposing his toned body. His hair was tousled on top of his head. He was clean shaven, as he always was. 

“Well excuse the fuck outta me! I thought you were some little asshole, not an angel come to take me to heaven,” he said, chewing a piece of microwaved chicken. She smiled and walked over behind the desk as he wiped his hands on his napkin, then took both of hers in his looking into her eyes. “You ready, doll?” 

She sighed. “Honestly no. What if these kids ask me something and I have no idea what to say? Negan, I don’t know the first thing about sex and I think I’m about to make a fool out of myself in front of fifty hateful teenagers!” 

He pulled her into his lap. “Elara,” he practically sang her name, and she loved it. He was the only one who ever used her whole name, “I was asking if you were ready to marry me this afternoon,” he smirked, making her cover her face with her hands as she blushed, “but don’t worry about those little fuckers, doll. It’s their fuckin’ job to try to make you feel stupid.” He brushed a stray hair out of her face, cupping her cheek, “and you, goddamn, you are the smartest person I’ve ever met. What with your fancy university Master’s Degree. You tell ‘em the science shit, and I’ll handle the freaky shit.” His voice lowered, pulling her close and breathing into her neck “And then tonight, I’ll teach you any freaky shit you want to know.” 

She couldn’t take it. Elara dipped her head down and brushed her lips across his as she straddled his lap. He pulled her close, and when she tilted her hips she could feel that he was just as excited as she was. His hands snaked beneath her purple scrub top and he grabbed both of her breasts, squeezing them hard and pressing them together. The kiss deepened until they felt like the only two people in the world. That is, until the door flew open, making Elara immediately jump up and stumble to the ground. 

“Whoa-ho-ho, Coach Negan! I didn’t think this was going to be an interactive presentation!” Three senior boys stood in the doorway snickering. The tallest of them and the speaker, Tanner, was Negan’s star. He had a harsh home life, but Negan took him under his wing, encouraged him to get his grades up, and found an aunt for him to stay with. Now, he was captain of the baseball team and on track to be the salutatorian, just like Negan was in his day. 

“Get outta here, you little assholes!” Negan laughed. Elara pulled her self up and looked in the mirror hanging on the wall. 

“Great. I’m bright red!” She said, touching her face. 

“Yeah well,” Negan walked behind her pressing her against the wall, “you feel that?” She most certainly did feel it. It was pressing into her back in the best way. Without thinking she let a small moan escape. He grunted, “That’s what you do to me, baby doll. And tonight, I’m gonna show you what I can do to you.”

He pushed himself away from wall and took her hand, smiling as if nothing had happened, and led her into the gymnasium to the waiting class. Elara reached up and quickly smoothed her hair. She looked at Tanner first who smiled, confirming he did not tell what he’d just seen. Elara was so thankful for that. 

“Okay you little fuckers!” Negan yelled, “everybody got their permission slip?” The class held their slips up in unison with no sound, eliciting a laugh from Negan, who was leaning over the table set up with all El’s diagrams and teaching tools, “Alright then, take it away, Nurse Elara.” 

El smiled as he said her name, pushing herself away from the table, “Okay so let’s start by me asking you what you think you know about safe sex.”

Several hands shot up. “Okay you,” El said, pointing to a small dark skinned girl in a crimson sweater.”

“Well, I know if you pull out you can’t get pregnant,” the girl said triumphantly. 

“Uhm,” El spoke slowly, “Actually that’s a very common misconception. You can definitely get pregnant. I always like to say ‘What do you call a couple who uses the pull out method as their primary form of birth control?’” She stared at the blank faces around her, “Parents!” She laughed at her own joke before realizing she was the only one laughing. She looked up at Negan, her eyes pleading. 

He stood up from the table and said, “Okay, show of hands, how many of you have seen a dick?” 

El blushed immediately and kept her hands firmly at her sides, pretending she assumed the question didn’t apply to her. 

“Well those of you that have? You see that sticky stuff? That’s precum and that shit will get you pregnant. Easy. And you shouldn’t be ridin’ bear back anyway. That’s how ya get herpes and chlamydia and that shit is NASTY,” Negan continued, “and another thing,” he stopped abruptly as Elara touched his arm. She looked up at him, her face clearly reading “that’s enough.”

They continued this way for the remainder of the class. El would answer a question the best she knew how, the way her nursing text books explained it, and Negan would follow up in layman’s terms, from experience. 

Finally, the bell rang, signaling that Christmas break had officially begun. As the last student filed out , Elara leaned against the table, her head low, completely exasperated. 

“Hey, Hey, baby girl,” negan said as he sauntered over, picking up her chin with his forefinger and forcing her to look at him, “you were great.” 

She smiled, “No, you were great. You relate to them so well. And you have so much..” she trailed off. 

“Experience?” He smirked. She loved that smirk. It tore her apart inside. 

“Yeah,” she said barely above a whisper. 

“Well,” he said,his voice low and gravely, “this time next semester, you’ll have so much experience you won’t even need me here.” El shivered at his words. Elara was a virgin. Not by lack of opportunity, but by choice. When her mother died, she made a decision to wait. She didn’t know why, but it was what felt right. Negan had known that when they started dating, and despite some very passionate nights and very close calls, it was always him that had forced her to keep her promise, knowing how upset she’d be if she didn’t.

Negan moved away to grab his bag from his office, and El let out a breath she didn’t even realize she was holding. 

“See you at 5:30?” She finally had the courage to say. 

Negan reappeared from his office and quickly ran over to give her a deep kiss, “Five thirty, doll,” he whispered then turned and walked toward the parking lot.  
____________________________________________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? Please leave comments with ideas and constructive criticism!


	2. The wedding

El looked herself over once more in the mirror. 

Even though they’d decided on a courthouse wedding, Negan had insisted she wear a wedding dress. At first she thought it was silly, but she finally agreed. But now, looking at herself, she was so glad he was the most stubborn man she’d ever met. Because she felt like a bride. 

Her dress was white lace that fell softly to her knees. It had capped sleeves, but the back was out. Because it was so cold, she opted to wear her mother’s grey fur stole. She wore her grandmother’s pearl and diamond earrings and white pumps with a pointed toe. 

The sound of a car honking tore her from her trance and she ran outside and climbed into her Uber, suitcase in hand. 

Throughout the ride she thought of her mother. How much she missed her, and how much she would have loved to have been a part of today. She began to wonder if Negan was thinking of Lucille, his first wife, who’d died about a year before El started working at Calhoun. She hoped he was. El had only met Lucille once, at her mother’s funeral, but always thought of her as the pinnacle of womanhood. The perfect wife. She looked down at her hands and wondered for the millionth time if she’d ever measure up. 

“Hey, Lady!” Her Uber driver yelled, “Get out or I’m charging you twice.” 

“Okay, gosh,” She grumbled, grabbing her bag and slamming the door. 

She spotted Negan’s truck and threw her bag in the bed. She looked up at the county courthouse. 

“Here goes, mom,” she whispered, only partly to herself, then walked up the marble steps. When she entered, she saw that she had to go down a floor to get to the probate office. As she walked down, she saw him. 

He was wearing a grey suit, black dress shoes, and a red tie. In his right hand, he held a bouquet of flowers. He checked his watch then looked up at her. El’s heart skipped a beat as she watched his face light up. He walked over to meet her at the bottom step and took her hand to help her down. 

“Holy fuck you’re beautiful,” he said, barely audible. 

“Thank you,” she smiled and looked him over, “I can’t believe I get to marry you today.” 

He chuckled, and looked down at his shoes. In that moment he shared something with her that he never showed to anyone else—humility. Negan was cocky and confident. A real man’s man. He loved sports, especially baseball, and chicken wings, and beer, and formerly, anything in a skirt. Elara knew he had cheated on Lucille before she got sick, but she also truly believed Lucille’s death had changed Negan, and so did he. 

“I got you these, because every bride deserves to hold a bouquet at her wedding,” he smiled handing over the flowers and taking her hand. 

They walked into the office to see the judge standing there smiling, his witness off to the side. He went through the formalities asking for objections and when there were none, proceeding with the ceremony as he had a hundred times. 

“Do you take this man to be your husband?” The judge asked. Without breaking Negan’s eye contact, El whispered, “I do.”

“And do you take this woman to be your wife?”

“You better fucking bet I do,” he smiled offering El a wink. The judge just cleared his throat. 

“Okay then. By the power vested in me, by the State of Tennessee, I now pronounce you man and wife, Coach Negan, you may kiss your bride.”

Negan pulled El close to him and slid his hand behind her neck, the other falling to her waist. He looked at her just a moment, then gently brushed his lips to hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him harder, deeper. They pulled apart looking at each other only. Then, Negan unexpectedly lifted her up bridal style and ran out of the office. 

“What are you doing, you crazy man?” El giggled as he ascended the stairs. 

“I’m running away with my wife! That’s what we are supposed to do,” he winked. He carried her all the way to the front doors, then sat her down, and opened them. 

El screamed, “NEGAN, IT’S SNOWING!”

She looked up at him as snowflakes began to land on her long dark lashes, her smile wide. 

He pulled her close and kissed her again. She was so beautiful. And finally, *finally* she was his. 

He took her hand as they ran to the truck. He opened her door and let her get inside then ran around and got in on his side. Immediately she was on him, kissing his neck, pulling open his collar. She was breathless and unrelenting. He shifted to kiss her hard for just a moment before pushing her softly back. 

“Baby girl, I am fighting every part of me right now not to fuck you hard right here in this truck, because you deserve better for your first time. But if you touch me like that again, I cannot promise I can continue to be such a good fucking guy,” He growled with his forehead pressed against hers, making El moan. 

“Please hurry, Negan,” She said, her pupils completely blown.


	3. Wedding Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was edited to keep it a little more classy and I love it so much more. I think that it speaks so much more to Elara’s character and who she is this way. Be aware there is lovemaking in this chapter!

Hurry as he did, it still took three and a half hours to reach their little cabin in the woods outside of a small town in northern Virginia. When they pulled up, El’s eyes widened. It was a small log cabin with a simple tin roof, less than 800 square feet. 

“Oh negan,” she whispered, “it’s so perfect.” 

And it was. The snow was billowed all around the small log cabin nestled away in the woods. The perfect place for them to spend their honeymoon. She looked at the clock. 9:30 pm. 

He was out of the car and opening her door. He hoisted her up on his shoulder. 

“Why are you carrying me now?” El laughed. 

“I’m carrying my wife through the threshold!” 

El relaxed into him as he said “my wife.” His wife. Truly his. He unlocked the door and walked through, placing her gently on the bed in the corner. 

“I’ll grab our bags,” he smiled, “and, you, you just relax for me.”

“Okay,” she said smiling, but as soon as he closed the door she ran to the bathroom to freshen up. She sprayed her perfume and put on another coat of red lipstick and walked out where Negan had already set down the bags and was opening a bottle of wine. He sauntered over to her and handed her a glass. She took it, a little shaky from her nerves. 

“Hey, husband, could you help me unbutton this dress?” He smiled and set his wine down. 

She turned and coyly moved her dark brown hair to one side, her stole long gone, revealing her back and shoulders to him. He unbuttoned every button at an agonizingly slow pace then ran his hands slowly up her arms, leaning into whisper into her ear as he reached her shoulders, “There you go, wife.” 

He sent chills down her spine. He turned away from her and sat back down on the bed, grabbing his wine from the nightstand and taking a sip. He watched her intently with his elbows resting on his knees. 

She turned around and smiled. She pulled the front of her dress down to reveal her white bridal corset, then allowed the dress to drop to the floor to expose her white lace thong and garter. She stepped out of her dress and walked slowly toward Negan, his eyes wide. 

“Ho-ly Fuck, babygirl,” he growled, “if I’d known what was under that dress three hours ago, there’s no fucking way I wouldn’t have taken you in that truck right in front of the goddamn court house.”

El smiled as she reached him, filled with confidence as he showered her with compliments.

“Turn around,” he commanded, and she did. She loved it when he was bossy. She always had. He ran his hand from her ankle to her knee to her thigh and finally gripped her right buttcheek. She threw her head back as she felt him touching her body so forwardly for the first time. He’d always been so careful not to cross that line with her, no matter how bad he had wanted to. He was so intent on her keeping her vow. Negan stood up behind her, both of his hands kneading her ass, and whispered, “You belong to me, now, baby doll.” She threw her head back against his chest. “Oh, do you like that, doll?” She whimpered against his neck, needy. “Uh-uh-uh, use your big girl words and tell me, do you fucking like that you are fucking mine?”

She couldn’t help what came out of her mouth it just did. 

“Yes, sir.” 

He chuckled against her neck. “Oh, baby girl, I’m about to change your fucking life.” He turned her around, his face inches from hers. “Lay down.” He ordered, and she did fumbling with her heels, but he caught her wrist. 

“Did I say you could take those off, doll?” He smirked. She pressed herself further up the bed as she watched him remove his clothing. He was down to his suitpants the fly now open. She took him in completely. He was lean and strong, despite being 20 years her senior, with tattoos covering his arms and chest. She was imagining running her tongue along the lines of each one when her hand wondered down between her thighs. He stopped abruptly and looked at her, “no fucking ma’am!” His voice loud in the small space, so she quickly moved her hand away. He dropped his suit pants, now wearing only a pair of grey boxers, his bulge intimidatingly big. He crawled toward her between her legs, her heels still on her feet, and nipped at her neck. Finally he whispered in her ear, “I’m the only one who gets to touch you tonight.” She threw her head back and moaned, “ugh, yes sir!” 

“Good girl,” he whispered into her neck, nipping at a sweet spot she didn’t know she had. He kissed his way down to her breasts and slowly undid each clasp down the front of her corset. He slowly pulled it open and looked at her. She held her breath for what felt like hours as he analyzed every inch of her body. “Elara,” he spoke, his voice grittier than she’d ever heard it, and she almost unraveled right there, “you are the most beautiful fucking thing I have ever laid my fucking eyes on.” 

She released her breath, but he came down on her hard, his mouth falling on her chest. He bit down lightly to see how she’d react. He smirked as she let out a breathy moan. He had always known she was going to be an animal in bed. Her hands were in his hair as he pushing her toward ecstasy. He kissed across her chest and she whimpered at the loss of him, but was soon satisfied again as he repeated his assault on her other breast. She felt an unfamiliar feeling building low in her stomach. Her back arched forcing more of her breast into his mouth and he took the opportunity to slip his hand behind her back and pull her to him. 

He let her go, his mouth making a satisfying pop, and she whimpered. He kissed his way down to her pantyline, leaving soft kisses on her lower tummy and hips. He began kissing her thigh everywhere but where she needed it. 

“Please—“ she begged. 

“Please, what?” He whispered. 

“Please, daddy—“ she groaned through her teeth. He looked up at her in disbelief at what she’d just called him. He took her in. She was squirming—for him. Begging him for release. It awakened the animal in him. He took the band of her thong in his mouth and tore it from her body with a growl. She stared at him wide eyed. He made eye contact with her and he instantly knew exactly what she was feeling. She was scared and aroused and just about ready to burst. He kept her gaze as he slowly lowered his head between her legs. One swipe of his tongue and she was moaning. Two swipes and she was shaking. He looked up at her and smirked, then his mouth fell onto her devouring her. 

She was writhing so he put his hand on her stomach to keep her still. She was moaning in the most beautiful way, his name escaping her lips every so often which only pushed him on in his assault. He could tell she was close, so he brought his other hand up and slipped a single finger inside her. 

That was all it took. She was tumbling, spiraling out of control. She arched all the way off the bed pushing herself further into him, feeling him smile against her as she screamed his name. She was finally coming down from her high, trembling, and fucking beautiful. He pulled his mouth from her and made his way back up to her face, kissing her roughly. 

“How was that, baby doll?” He asked, his voice pure arousal. 

“So good, Negan,” she breathed, trying to catch her breath. 

“That’s so fucking good, baby. You taste so fucking good,” he teased as he kissed her neck. 

“Negan, please, I want you,” she groaned. 

“Well what my baby girl fucking wants my baby girl fucking gets!” He said lining himself up with her. 

He looked into her eyes and his demeanor changed slightly, “Elara,” he practically sang, “tell me to stop if it’s too much, okay?” She nodded quickly. He smiled and tilted his head down as he pushed inside her. Just the head at first. He looked up at her and her eyes were wide. Her fingernails dug into his shoulders. “You okay, doll? You want to stop?” He said, concern filling his eyes. 

“No, please!” She said quickly and louder than she expected, “Make me yours,” she finished. He growled and slowly pushed himself all the way inside. He stilled a moment to allow her to adjust. Her face was twisted at first, but slowly she relaxed. 

“I’m gonna move now, baby doll,” he whispered looking into her eyes. She nodded staring straight back at him. She bit her lip, first to keep from making any noise that would tell him how bad it hurt. He was so big and she couldn’t believe he even fit inside her. Then she bit her lip for a very different reason. Her pain slowly transformed into ecstasy. She moved back against him and he took the hint, speeding up to match her rhythm. She moaned loudly. He knew she was close, and so was he. He lifted her hips off the bed pounded into her. Negan and El were gasping and moaning filling the room with their noises. The sound of skin on skin filled the small space and she felt like a goddess as he grunted her name. 

“So”  
“Fucking”   
“Beautiful,” Negan huffed between thrusts, “Cum for daddy, baby girl.”

And that was it. Right on cue, her back arched and her toes curled. She was on high again and he was about to meet her there. 

“You”  
“Are”   
“Mine,” he growled through his final thrusts and he came deep inside her. The feeling causing her to moan again. He collapsed on top of her, breathless. 

She looked at him and he stared into her eyes. They lay there for hours, silent, just being with each other and belonging to one another. Eventually they drifted off to sleep as snowflakes peppered the tin roof, safe and warm in each other’s arms.


	4. Bunkers and Bad Words

Elara rolled over and groaned. Her whole body ached. Around 3 am, she’d woken up needing him, so they made love again, half asleep, half awake, but still so so good. She was paying for it now though. Between that, and the fact she was pretty sure she’d slept on her high heel shoes, her back was super tight. 

“Well good fucking morning, baby girl!” Negan said, chipper from across the room in the kitchen. 

Elara sat up and looked at him. He was standing at the counter wearing gray sweatpants only, making waffles. She looked down at the ring on her left hand. Just to make sure she hadn’t dreamed the whole thing. It was there. And so was he. And he belonged to her. 

“Oh baby, those smell so good!” She smiled taking a deep whiff, “where’d you even get the stuff for waffles?” 

Negan smiled and waved her over to the kitchen. She stepped out of bed and grabbed a pair of shorts and a bra, quickly dressing before walking into the kitchen. 

“You didn’t need to get dressed on my account, Love. I fucking prefer you naked. I spent most of the morning just fucking watching you.” He whispered, wrapping his arms around her waist. 

Elara blushed at the thought of him watching her sleep. What if she’d drooled? Or worse... she shook the thought, and changed the subject. 

“You didn’t answer my question, Negan! Where’d you get all this stuff!” She said, laughing as she wiggled out of his arms. 

Negan used his bare foot to push the rug out of the way revealing a small door in the floor. Elara looked up at him, perplexed. 

Negan opened the door and revealed a staircase leading to who knows where. Elara just stared at him blankly. Who the heck just climbs in a hole? He’s truly freaking crazy! 

“Age before beauty,” he smirked as he slowly walked down the stairs. Elara watched him and decided to follow. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she heard Negan fumbling to find something. 

“Get ready, baby girl, because this shit is fucking awesome,” he said smoothly as he turned the lights on. 

The light illuminated a huge underground stock room. There was floor to ceiling shelves around the whole place with non perishable foods, medical supplies, and huge tanks of water. Elara turned around, speechless, stunned by how big the room was. 

“Negan, what is this?” She asked. 

“Guess ole boy who rented me this little cabin is a doomsday prepper, and we just found his fucking stockpile,” Negan laughed, “Dumb fuck, look at all this wasted money.” 

“How big do you think this room is?” Elara asked still completely in awe. 

“Easily 2,000 square feet. Maybe 2,500. There’s enough stuff down here to keep several people alive for like two or three years.” 

Elara wandered over to the medical supplies. 

“Baby, they even have a surgical table set up!” She exclaimed, then her voice changed and she ran to Negan, gripping his arm, “You don’t think he’s a serial killer do you?” 

Negan laughed. “No, doll, just some old, crazy son of a bitch, with way too much fucking money and way too much fucking time.” 

“Well I don’t like it down here. Can we just go back upstairs?” 

He kissed the top of her head, “Of course, baby girl.” 

He followed her up the stairs and closed the door, covering it up with the rug. 

“Out of sight, out of mind,”’he smiled at her. And she smiled back. He placed a giant waffle on her plate. 

“Eat.” He said shortly, “you are going to need your fucking strength.” 

“Oh yeah! We’re going skiing today!” She nearly squealed, excited. Elara was born and bred in the south, so snow always made her giddy. Even when she’d been away at Vanderbilt studying nursing, snow fall would pull her away from her studies to just be present in the moment. 

“Actually, no, baby girl, we’re not,” Negan said, sitting beside her plate in hand. “Look out that fucking window. What do you see?” 

Elara looked. “Nothing, Negan, why?”

“Exactly, baby,” he said taking a bite of his waffle. “It’s a total fucking white out out there. Plus the snow is so high there’s no way I could move the truck. So I’d say we are stuck inside for the next couple of days.” 

She looked at her hands and spun her wedding ring around her finger. She knew there was nothing he could do about it, but she had really been excited about being out and about with her husband. She wanted people to see them together and be able to say, “Oh, we are on our honeymoon!” 

Negan could tell she was disappointed. He put down his fork and pulled her into his lap. “Baby girl, don’t be fucking sad,” he said pushing her disheveled hair out of her face. “I’m sure daddy can find a way to entertain you, kitten.” He smirked and she was immediately smitten. “If you’re not too sore?” 

“Never too sore for you, daddy,” she moaned as she pressed her lips against his. 

He took her there, on the kitchen counter. 

Then again in the bed. 

Then once more on the couch. 

As he collapsed on top of her the last time, he was completely spent. But she was still ready to go. 

“Baby girl,” he said out of breath, “I hate to show my fucking age here, but you gotta let daddy take a fucking break. We’ve been at it for hours, and trust me, you are fucking amazing. But I literally just cannot again for at least 6 hours. I need fucking rest, doll.” Elara frowned. 

“Well, can we—” she paused. 

“Can we what, baby girl?” He said tilting her chin up to force her to look up at him. 

“Can we talk...about it?” She whispered. 

Negan grinned from ear to ear which made Elara blush wildly. “Hell yeah we can. What do you wanna talk about, kitten?” 

“Well, what’s your favorite part?” She smiled. “I mean other than the end.” She giggled, and he thought his heart might explode. She’d changed him. He was such a fucking ass before. He’d cheated on Lucille so many times. He was just out to get his dick wet. But then she got sick and then... well, then she fucking died. When Elara came back to work at the school, she wasn’t the same doe eyed little girl he remembered in his class just four years before. She was all woman. 

He brushed her hair out of her face. 

“My favorite part is right before you cum. You always have your eyes squeezed shut like you’re holding on trying not to let go. But then you look at me with this fucking face, oh my god, and it’s like you’re asking for fucking permission to cum.” He threw his head back this time, groaning. “That shit is so fucking hot.” 

Elara smiled. She didn’t even realize she did that but she was so glad he liked it. “Would you like it if I actually asked?” She said, surprising herself at her own words. 

Negan looked at her, unsure if he’d understood her correctly. “Ask me what, baby doll?” He questioned, his voice low. 

Elara swallowed hard, regretting her bold moment. “Would—would you like it if—if—I asked your permission to—to cum?” She finally mustered out. 

Negan grinned wildly. “Oh fuck, baby girl, that would be fucking fantastic. You’re gonna get me hard just fucking thinking about that, doll.” 

Elara sat up, invigorated. “What else can I do, Negan? Tell me, and don’t be scared. Because I’m not scared.”’ She was smiling so big, her little dimple shining through. He just looked at her. She was completely naked, straddling his lap. This woman who 36 hours ago was stuttering through a Sex Ed class, was now in his lap begging to learn how to please him. And she wasn’t scared. 

He sat up too and moved her to sit cross legged on the couch. 

“Well, when you called me ‘daddy’ last night, I thought I might have a heart attack,” He said, matter-of-factly. 

“Oh,” she said her hand touching her back of her neck, “I don’t know why I said that. I know how mad you get when people ask if you’re my dad. It just came out. I’m sor—“

“Oh fucking no baby! I loved that shit!” He said taking her hands, in his, biting his small and delicate they were compared to his. 

“Okay then,” she smiled, her dimple showing, “I’ll keep doing it then.”

He grinned at her, turning towards the tv, assuming their conversation was over. Just another boring news story about some virus that was apparently spreading throughout the country. *yeah right* Negan thought, *They always tell us this shit then it all blows the fuck over.*

She spoke again though, “Okay. Asking daddy permission. What else?” 

He looked at her a minute and thought of the one thing he’d thought of so many times.Long before she was his to even think about. But he didn’t want to scare her. He knew how horrible he was for even thinking about it. She was so sweet. So innocent. But that only made it worse for him. She was staring at him now. He could bring it up now or never again. She was asking him to divulge his deepest desires. She wanted to please him. 

“I want to spank you,” he said looking straight into her eyes. Her brows perked up and her face stretched from a soft smile to an all out grin before she finally spoke. 

“Oh fuck yes,” she said, her voice full of desire. Elara never cursed so hearing that come out of her mouth made it all the more clear. That’s the answer she’d been waiting for. 

“Did you just say fuck, Elara? Daddy doesn’t like it when his princess uses words like that. That shit just won’t fucking fly in this house.” He smirked so hard she thought his face might get stuck. She leaned over his bare lap. To give him access. 

Her heart was fluttering. She had always wanted him to spank her, too. Always. 

He slowly palmed her asscheek and said “Okay baby girl, you’re gonna get five. You better fucking count.”

He raised his hand high. She jumped slightly and was startled. “One, sir!” 

He collided with her again, this time a little harder so she nearly squealed, “ugh, Two, sir!”

*smack*  
“Three, sir!”  
*smack*  
“Four, Sir!”

She was breathing heavy and Negan couldn’t believe how turned on he was. She was his precious girl after all. She’d saved his life when he was depressed after Lucille died. He always thought he was a sick fuck for wanting to spank her. But here she was enjoying every second. 

He raised his hand one more time and smacked her one more time, harder than all the others. She screamed in pleasure and then melted into his lap, “That’s five, daddy. Thank you.” She whispered. He rubbed his hand along her ass, soothing the red skin.

Negan smirked. She looked up at him over her shoulder. Her smile was so sleepy. She was spent. He scooped her up and carried her over to the bed and laid down beside her. “I love you, Elara.” 

“I love you more,” she said, but just before she drifted off to sleep she added, “Daddy.”


	5. Midnight memories

Negan stared at the clock. 

It was just after midnight. 

He and Elara have been married for exactly two weeks today. Much to their surprise, they had spent the entirety of that two weeks within the confines of their small cabin, making love, eating, watching old westerns, making love, playing card games, and making love. 

Negan looked down at her face as she slept against his chest. He was worried. 

She was fucking perfect. Sweet, caring, but could be a total bad ass if she needed to be. He’d never forget the day Tanner broke his leg at the city wide game. It was the day he fell in love with her. Elara had been on the field so fast, demanding authority. 

 

(Begin flashback)   
“Get the fuck out of my way!” She yelled as she elbowed through the crowd of men around Tanner. 

She looked him over quickly and checked the pulse in the foot of his broken leg. “Coach give me your shirt,” she demanded. 

“What?” Negan asked, but Removed his shirt quickly. 

She didn’t answer and shoved it into Tanner mouth. “Tanner, this is going to hurt like a son of a bitch, but it’s going to make you feel better.” Tanner nodded. 

“Boys, hold him down,” she commanded and four of Tanner’s teammates held down his arms, torso, and good leg. 

She grasped his broken leg just below the break and in one swift motion there was an audible *click*. Tanner screamed into the shirt and tears rolled out of his eyes as she used a baseball bat and cause to stabilize his leg. 

“Holy shit!” Tanner screamed, “it doesn’t hurt anymore!” 

“Well don’t move until the ambulance gets here. Okay, buddy? You’ll undo everything I just fixed.” She’d said sweetly, her voice void of the command it held before. Soon the ambulance came and took Tanner and Elara to the hospital in the city about 30 minutes away.

After the game had ended, Negan decided to visit Tanner in the hospital. 

He walked up to the room and was about to open the door, when it instead opened. 

And there she was, her blue jeans stained at the knees with red clay from where she’d thrown herself to the ground in the heat of the moment. Her hair was waving ever so slightly from the hot summer sun. The sleeves of her Calhoun County Wolves T-shirt were cuffed, Negan noted 

*Must be a thing she picked up in Nashville,* he thought. 

She smiled at him and put her finger to her lips, stepping out of the room. 

The pair walked to the waiting room in silence. 

“He’s zonked out on all the dilaudid I could get them to give him, plus a phenergan for the nausea he’ll get from that,” she smiled at Negan. 

He stared at her. He didn’t know what all shit was. 

“Pain medicine and nausea medicine. They both are gonna make him really tired. When he wakes up he’ll be super loopy, but he will be so glad that you’re here. He thinks so highly of you, Coach. He told me what you did for him. That’s pretty amazing.” She smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. 

He watched her for a split second before answering, “Eh, any decent person would have done the same. Kid needed a safe place to stay, so I found him one.” 

“You’re more than a decent man, Coach Negan,” she said resting her hand on his and giving it a squeeze, “You are a good man.” 

He licked his lips as he looked at her. He really had her fooled. He was a piece of shit, actually. He had cheated on his dying wife. She had fucking cancer, and he still cheated. He was not a good man. He didn’t even care about the women he cheated with. And after Lucille died, you could find him at the bar after school drinking away his feelings. What he did for Tanner was literally the only good thing he’d ever done. 

The doctor walked up tearing him away from his thoughts. 

“Are you Tanner’s father, sir?” The doctor asked looking straight at Negan. 

“Yes he is,” Elara smiled and leaned her head against Negan’s shoulder. “Is my little brother going to be okay?” 

“Absolutely he is. No signs of any kind of neuro deficits in his leg whatsoever. I don’t know who that guy at the game was that set his leg was, but he saved that kid’s baseball career!” 

Negan stared at the doctor and finally spoke, “What?”

“Sir, when your son broke his leg, one of the pieces of bone was pressing against an artery that supplies blood to his lower leg and foot. It takes so long for EMS to get to your small town from here. If that man hadn’t set his leg when he did, the lack of blood flow would have caused the tissue to die, which would have resulted in an amputation of his entire lower leg. Instead, he’s just going to be in a cast for about 8 weeks. I gotta tell you, brother. You need to find that guy that set your boy’s leg and thank him.”

“We’ll do that then, doctor. Thank you,” Elara said smiling and clutching Negan’s arm. The doctor smiled and walked away. 

“How did you know?” Negan whispered. 

“I checked his pulse. It was thready, nearly absent. I knew where the break was so I assumed it was occluding the artery. I just did what I had to do,” she said matter-of-factly looking down at her hands. 

“Why did you lie? That guy thinks some random man saved Tanner’s leg and you won’t even take credit for it.” Negan asked. 

Elara turned to him and pulled him away from the waiting area, down the hall, and into a supply closet. 

“Coach Negan, listen. I lied to the doctor for two reasons. The first is that there are laws in place that keep me from knowing what was going on unless I’m his immediate family. When the doctor asked who I was, sister just fell out. He gave me a funny look because obviously Tanner is black and I’m not, so I made up a bogus story about our dad, who adopted both of us after his wife died from cancer...” she trailed off, “I’m sorry. I just wanted to know what was going on with him.”

Negan smiled. “No no, Elara. That’s fucking genius. Tanner doesn’t really have parents anyway and it’s not like his old ass fucking aunt is going to visit him. You made the right call. We care about him, so we needed to know so we could make the best fucking decisions for him. You did great, doll.” She looked at him quickly. That was the first time he’d ever called her that. “What was the other reason?”

“Oh...” she looked down again, then looked up and word vomitted, “Because as a school nurse I’m not technically allowed to set bones and as an RN I’m not technically trained to set bones, and if anyone found out I’d lose my job and my license.” She smiled awkwardly. 

Negan let out a throaty laugh. “That’s fucking awesome, doll! You are not only a goddamn genius, you’re a fucking criminal mastermind!” Elara smiled. 

“So you won’t rat me out?” She asked shyly. 

“Hell no, baby girl!” Negan smiled, throwing his arms around her shoulders, “Let’s go check and see if ‘your brother’ is awake.” 

(End flashback) 

He looked down at her sleeping form. He brushed a hair out of her face. 

Two weeks.   
Two weeks they’d been married.   
And in that time, Virginia had a fucking blizzard, keeping the two of them snowed in for nearly all their honeymoon, and now, the entire state was on quarantine because of some fucking virus that was making people lose their shit, so they couldn’t even go into town for dinner. 

Maybe this was a sign. 

He knew he didn’t deserve her. But he was selfish. She could be with anyone. A doctor. Maybe. Someone who hadn’t made all those mistakes. Definitely someone younger. He’d taken that from her. 

But here she was holed up in a tiny ass cabin with a man old enough to be her father who lived paycheck to paycheck on a teacher’s salary. 

Then she moved, waking up. She rubbed her eyes, rolling over on her back. 

“What are you doing awake, baby?” She cooed, sleep heavy in her voice. 

“Just thinking, baby girl,” he said solemnly. 

“Well stop it,” she said with a pout. 

He smirked at her, “What? Why?”

“‘Cause whatever you are thinking about made you let go of me! And now I’m spoiled and I can’t sleep without your arms around me. That’s why I woke up, you knucklehead!” She scolded. He smiled at her and took her up in his arms holding her tight and rocking until she was back asleep. He loved that she cursed only in the most serious of moments. 

“knucklehead”, he chuckled to himself. 

He’d forgotten the most important thing. 

He didn’t just steal her away. He didn’t force her to be with him. He wasn’t holding anything over her head. 

She’d chosen him. Just like he’d chosen her. 

And with that reassurance, Negan finally relaxed enough to go to sleep.


	6. The beginning of the end... of the world

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is not the end of the story. Don’t let the chapter title fool you. Still working on more chapters.

Negan and Elara were both naked, wrapped up in the sheets sleeping soundly when a harsh knock on the door jolted them awake.

Negan groaned, “Who the fuck?” He said rubbing his sleepy eyes. 

Elara sat up and grabbed a pair of shorts and one of Negan’s white t shirts from the floor to cover her naked body. Negan opted to slide on only sweatpants. Elara ran to the door and stood on her tiptoes to look through the peep hole. 

“Negan!” She called in a hushed, but frantic voice, “It’s some guy with a creepy mustache! Do you think he’s one of those mountain people?” She was scared. She’d watched a movie on the ID channel about those mountain men. They were scary as fuck. 

Negan chuckled low, and sauntered over, “No baby girl, that’s probably just the guy that owns the cabin.” Elara moved out of the way as Negan bent over to look through the peephole. He turned and smiled at her as he opened the door. 

The man rushed in without being invited, frantic. He was covered in blood. 

“Whoa, Simon. What the fuck is wrong with you?” Negan said nonchalantly. 

“My neighbor!” He yelled, “Just tried to fucking eat me! I didn’t know what to do so I just...” 

“What did you do, Simon?” Negan said calmly, walking toward this man he barely knew. 

“I shot her,” Simon said, sitting down on the couch. 

Elara fell back against the door. She was right. He was a crazy ass mountain man. He shot his neighbor now he was going to kill them. 

“Simon, I don’t know wha—“ Negan spoke slowly but was cut off, now sitting next to Simon. 

“Buddy, listen.” Simon whispered “I shot her-shot her right in the fucking heart. But she wouldn’t stop coming at me.” His hands were shaking. Elara slowly started to realize what this meant. 

“The virus,” she whispered. 

“She wouldn’t stop until I stabbed her in the face with a pair of fucking scissors,” Simon put his face in his hands. He was wrecked. He looked up, “When I walked outside to call for help, I realized ALL my neighbors were trying to fucking eat me. Look, I don’t know you two. But as of right now, you are the only two people I have seen that are not infected.”

“Did any of them bite you?” Elara asked curtly. She felt sorry for this guy, sure. But if he was infected too, she wouldn’t risk her life. She barely knew him. 

“No,” Simon said, “I’m clean.”

Negan stood up and rubbed his hand over his face, “Simon, tell me what you know about this fucking virus.”

“All they keep saying is you get bit by one of those fuckers, get a fever, fucking die, and then,” Simon trailed off. 

“Reanimation,” Elara finished. Negan looked over at her, confused. “What? I watch the news between... sessions.” 

Negan smirked a little, but immediately focused back on Simon. 

“What about Tennessee?” Negan demanded. 

“I don’t know. There’s a ham radio in the basement. We can try to—“ but Elara was already running downstairs to hook it up, turning the dials to find a station. 

Simon and Negan joined her.

“How did y’all know about the basement?” Simon asked. 

“Not the best hiding spot, buddy,” Negan said patting him on the shoulder. 

Finally Elara found what she’d been looking for. NETN, or Northeast Tennessee Radio. 

A scratchy voice came over the speaker. “We—reports—c—that all counties—completely overrun—“ 

They listened to static. 

Elara put her face in her hands. Negan slowly walked over and took her in his arms. That was it. Neither of them had family anymore, but the school. All their students. The life they were going to build together there. The life they had already built. All gone. 

Simon looked at them in realization. He spoke slowly, “Who you two got back in Tennessee?” 

 

Negan looked up but it was Elara who spoke.

“Our son, Tanner,” she whimpered. Negan looked at her and realized what she was saying. He had always thought of Tanner as the son he’d never had. So when they got married, it was only natural. He was her son, too now. 

Just then from upstairs, Negan’s phone began to ring loudly. Elara lurched from her chair and bound up the stairs to grab it. She picked it up and put it on speaker, as Negan and Simon reached the top of the stairs. Negan ran over to place his hands on Elara’s shoulders, terrified of what the call could mean. 

“Hello!” She yelled, “Tanner!” 

The connection was grainy, but both Negan and Elara could make out his voice.

“Tanner, listen!” She yelled into the phone, “grab your auntie’s gun she keeps in her underwear drawer and try to lock yourself in your room. Barricade the door. We will be there soon. Shoot for their heads.” 

The line was static for a few moments before a grainy, “Okay,” came through, then the line went dead. 

Negan and Elara began grabbing things. They changed clothes quickly, she into jeans, opting to keep Negan’s white shirt and a flannel button up while Negan opted for jeans and his leather jacket. 

“Whoa whoa whoa! What are you guys thinking? You can’t go there!” Simon yelled, his hands on his head like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. 

“We can’t just leave him!” Negan yelled at Simon. He turned to Elara, his voice heavy with determination and command “But your pretty ass is staying right the fuck here.” 

She gritted her teeth and he thought she might actually bite him, “Like hell I am!” She screamed, overcome with emotion, “I’m going with you!” 

Negan slowed down for just a moment, and cupped her face, “Baby girl, I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you.”

“Oh and what the FUCK am I supposed to do then? Stay here and wait for you to MAYBE return with Mr. Mustache Mountain Man? FUCKING NO. “ she was shaking she was so upset, “I’d rather die beside you than you go and be stuck here wondering what happened to you. I AM GOING, and THAT is FINAL.” 

Negan stared at her. The resolve in her eyes was so strong he knew he’d never convince her and Every moment they stayed and fought was losing time. 

“Fine,” he finally mustered. Turning toward the door. 

“Look,” Simon said, turning toward the pair, “If you two are going to be fucking idiots, at least let me set you up with some gear.”

Simon turned and ran down the stairs. 

A few minutes later he returned with two guns, a machete, and three backpacks filled with miscellaneous supplies. They took their packs and headed out the door toward the truck. Simon chased them out “Wait! One more thing!” He ran over handing Elara the keys to his jacked up pickup truck. “That truck has enough cans of gas in the bed to take you across the country, and the tires won’t slip on the ice.” 

Elara stared at him for a moment before hugging him tightly. He didn’t move until she let him go. 

“Let’s go!” She yelled. Negan quickly grabbed the baseball bat he used at practice from his truck, then ran over. They jumped in the truck and sped off. They had no idea what to expect, but all that mattered was saving their boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave comments and suggestions


	7. Saving Tanner

Negan and Elara exchanged few words the entire drive. Negan was focused on driving as fast as he could and Elara was trying to figure out what to expect. They were right outside of town when Negan finally spoke.

“I love you.” 

Elara looked at him, “I love you too, Negan.” 

“No, Elara. I mean I really fucking love you. This shit that’s going down— fuck, it just doesn’t make any sense— but you better stay behind me. Let me fucking protect you,” he said, his voice mixed with anger and concern. 

She looked out the window and then turned to him, “Negan, I know that you are scared. I’m really REALLY scared too. But I will not stay behind you. I will walk beside you through this fire. I know you are afraid of losing me. Well my greatest fear is losing you. So I will let you protect me, but I will also protect you.” 

He nodded gently, “Fine, baby girl.”

“And if I get bit by one of those things, shoot me in the head,” she finished. He just stared at her for a moment then turned back to the road. 

There was silence as they pulled into town. Slowly, the infected started clawing at the truck. Negan slowly pushed through them with the truck with no regard. Because it was Christmas, most every house was still twinkling with lights. Elara noted the stark contrast. Negan finally turned down Tanner’s street. 

“The house is just up ahead,” Negan said, his voice low, “but I can’t get this fucking truck down this street without fucking attracting those goddamn things.”

“What’s our plan then, baby?” Elara whispered. 

“The fucking plan, is that I’m going to walk my happy ass on down to Tanner’s, get him the fuck out, and come back to you before the fucking engine has time to cool down. And YOU are going to stay right the fuck here in this glorified tank where you can be fucking safe,”he demanded. 

Elara tried to argue, “Dammit, Negan! no! You agreed—“ but he was on her, kissing her deeply and pulling her roughly to his chest. They pulled apart, the kiss was so short, but so intense, saying everything he felt in one motion. 

He looked into her eyes, “I love you, Elara.”

“I love you, Negan.” She whispered, but he was already out of the car. He grabbed one of the guns and his bat. He stuck the gun down the front of his jeans, and threw the bat over his shoulder. 

Elara stayed back, as she was told, and watched him walk over. The dead didn’t seem to be very smart. He was easily maneuvering around the few of them in the street, but they were slowly creating a hoard. She pulled her knees up to her chest. 

“Come on, baby,” she whispered. 

 

As Negan walked along, he realized he was creating quite a following. What was once one or two dead ones was now eight to ten, but they were slow, so he just walked hurriedly to the house. When he reached the front door of Tanner’s house, he found it unlocked. He opened it and quickly went inside, trapping the dead on the other side of the barrier. When Negan looked out the peephole, he realized that they hadn’t forgetten him. They were still clawing at the door. 

He turned and walked slowly through the house to the kitchen where the stairs to Tanner’s room were. There, laying in a pool of blood, was Tanner’s old Auntie Francis. Negan sighed deeply. 

*She must of come at him* Negan thought as he remembered the many pies she had brought him. She was very old, but the only one of Tanner’s relatives who wasn’t a fucking piece of shit. She was a good woman, and Tanner loved her. Seeing her like this shook Negan to his core. The world had changed so fucking quickly. He scooped her up and sat her body in her recliner where she’d always loved to sit when he visited and covered her body with a blanket. 

Negan turned and walked up the stairs, taking them two at a time. When he reached Tanner’s door, he listened for the tell-tale sound of moaning, fearing that Tanner may have turned as well. It was silent, but then there was a crash. Negan prepared himself, taking his bat above his shoulder before Kicking the door open. 

Negan ran in, poised and ready. 

“Coach!” He heard from behind the door. Negan turned and saw Tanner who was standing there shaking, covered in blood, but completely unscathed. 

Negan didn’t say a word. He just walked over and took Tanner in his arms, hugging him tightly.   
He pulled away and put his hand on the back of Tanner’s neck, “Kid, I am so fucking happy to see you.” 

“Coach Negan, I killed Auntie Francis,” he said quietly, a single tear rolling down his face. 

“No, Tanner. She was already dead. You were protecting yourself. And you’re about to have to do that again. There’s a mob of those things outside. Do you remember what Elara told you?” 

“Aim for their heads,” he said, barely above a whisper. 

“That’s my boy. Come on,” Negan said turning toward the door. Tanner followed close behind. 

When they had almost reached the front door, it began to creak. Negan could see the cracks forming from the weight of the hoard on the other side. 

“Get ready kid,” Negan said lowly, raising his bat. Tanner rose his shaking hands holding the gun that looked very out of place. 

Finally the door broke open and the dead began to pour in. Tanner haphazardly shot at the bodies while Negan swung his bat. He grinned at the crack it made when it collided with their skulls. 

As hard as they tried to fight, they soon realized they were outnumbered. Tanner was out of bullets so negan swung wildly into the hoard that would no doubt overtake them. 

“This is the end of the line, Tanny Boy. I love you kid,”he said, his voice lacking the usual cocky tone. 

But then the sound of gunshots echoed through the air, breaking Negan’s thoughts. 

He looked up. It was Elara, gun in one hand, machete in the other. 

Negan watched in awe as she took off three biters heads in one swift movement before turning to stab the one behind her right in the face. Seeing her gave Negan the strength to keep swinging and soon every walker in the hoard was dead. 

They stood there staring at each other with a mountain of bodies between them. 

Negan closed the gap between them and took her in his arms. He couldn’t believe how close that had been. He almost died and all he could think was that he wished he could hold her one last time. But she saved him. Both of them. 

“We have to go,” She whispered, pushing him slowly away, a tear streaming down her face. 

The three walked out the front door in silence. They looked down the road to see yet another hoard of dead ones had surrounded the truck. 

“Fuck,” Tanner said slowly. 

“Hey, language,” Elara said without missing a beat, “but you’re right. We’re fucked.” 

Negan stared down the road, then turned when he heard a noise behind him. 

He pointed to the large SUV speeding toward them, and smiled, “Don’t be so fucking sure, kids.” 

The three ran towards the SUV. The driver pulled up, and rolled down the window. 

A familiar voice asked, “You assholes need a ride?”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave comments and kudos with constructive criticism and stuff! It makes me so happy and helps me find the wherewithal to keep writing.

“How’d you find us, Simon?” Elara asked from the backseat, her hand clutching Negan’s so tightly he thought her fingernails may draw blood. Her voice was so even, like they hadn’t just seen their entire world up in flames just a few hours earlier, but he saw it in her eyes. Something seemed different. 

“I just looked at the copy of ole Negan’s driver’s license I took to rent the cabin. I figured it was worth a shot. I felt like shit letting you two leave like that. Once I got to town I just followed the sound of the biters. I knew you’d either be dead or I would be just in time. For the record, I’m glad it was the latter.” There was a long pause. 

Negan studied Elara closely. Her head was held high, but not as high as it usually was. Her shoulders slightly more hunched. Her breathing shallow and quick, like it was taking all of her strength to keep herself from crying. She turned and caught him staring. 

The moment of eye contact was almost too much for her, and he knew it. He pulled her close against his chest. The silence seemed to stretch on and on. Finally Simon spoke. 

“So I gotta ask. You guys said you were going to get your son. Well it doesn’t take a god damn detective to discover y’all look a hell of a lot different.” 

Elara let out a small, almost unrecognizable chuckle. It wasn’t the normal infectious laughter he was used to hearing, but somehow it reassured him that she was still in there. 

“Yeah, well, ole Tanner is the closest thing I’ve ever had to a son,” Negan began. 

“Family don’t end in blood,” Elara spoke so quietly it was barely audible. 

Negan was thankful Tanner took over and began to explain how they’d become so close so he could think. 

Elara was not a fighter, so she definitely wasn’t a killer. But she did what she had to do to protect him and Tanner. Negan felt a wave of guilt hit him as he considered this and looked down and the woman clutching desperately to his chest. 

*She had to protect me,* he thought, *and I should’ve been protecting her.*

Surely the military or those fancy scientists in Atlanta would figure out a way to stop all of this soon. But, what if she couldn’t recover? 

The truth was, Negan knew he could handle killing these things, but could she when it was her life on the line? 

He knew the answer to that question. And he didn’t like it. 

“Where are we going, ‘stache?” Tanner asked. 

“Back to the cabin. It’s far enough out of the way that there shouldn’t be many of those things out there. And I’ve got a whole bunker under it full of supplies.”

“Simon,” Elara sat up quickly, releasing Negan’s shirt, “We aren’t taking your supplies. You have done enough for us. We will have to figure something else out.” 

“Nonsense, doll. I don’t have family. It’s been just me for a long time. We can all stay there until this shit blows over,” said Simon, looking into the rear view mirror. Elara smiled at him. 

As thankful as Negan was for Simon’s help, the exchange pissed him off. Elara was his doll. No one else could call her that. 

Elara was beautiful in a way that was so effortless. The way she threw her head back when she laughed. The way she rubbed her fingertips across her collarbones and bit her lip when she was nervous. She was stunning. And because of that, Negan had seen many men hit on her, especially when she’d been one of his students so long ago. It still pissed him off. It would always piss him off. Tanner spoke, breaking Negan’s trance.

“Wait—the honeymoon cabin?” Tanner said, eyes wide, “Gross.” 

Tanner had a way of making Negan laugh no matter the situation. 

“What the fuck do you mean gross?” Negan chuckled. 

“Just—well—y’all have been gone two weeks,” Tanner said, “just fuckin’ in a cabin. It’s gonna smell like sex in there.” 

“Oh buddy it DEFINITELY smells like sex in there,” Simon added with a smirk. Elara hid her face in her hands, but somehow this made Negan feel better. Elara was his, and the condition of that cabin was a clear testament to that. 

“Gross,” Tanner said again. 

“Why the fuck is us having sex so fucking gross to you, Tanner?” Negan asked leaning forward in his seat, covering his heart, mimicking heartbreak, “I never heard you complain when you needed advice on sex.” 

“Nah, Coach,” Tanner began, but Negan cut him off. 

“No, buddy. You can just call me Negan, now.”

“Okay,” Tanner continued, “Negan, I don’t have an issue with y’all having sex. But I have a major fucking issue with the visualization.” 

Elara chuckled again, more relaxed this time. She was loosening up. Negan had to take advantage of this opportunity and keep her laughing. She deserved a good laugh. 

“What is wrong with that fucking visualization? Personally, I think we are fucking hot.” Negan said, leaning back and throwing his arm around Elara. He loved catching a glimpse of them going at it in the mirror. Kid ought to be thankful. 

“You’re just so fucking old, Coach,” Tanner said quickly, exasperated.

Elara let out a deep laugh. It was infectious. Everyone in the car was laughing in no time. 

Simon spoke up, “You are pretty fucking old, man!” 

“I’m younger than you, asswipe!” Negan shouted between chuckles. 

“For real, Coach—er—Negan,” Tanner corrected, ”I’m closer to El’s age than you are.” 

“Hey hey hey! Don’t I get a say?” Elara spoke up, smiling.

“Well of course you do, baby girl,” Negan said, smirking, “Tell ole Tanny boy here what it’s like to be with a real man.”

Tanner gagged in the front seat. 

Elara laughed again, “Well I would just like to say, you are super old,” she began, “but you’ve got luck on your side, because I’ve got all the daddy issues.” 

Tanner covered his mouth, feigning vomiting in his mouth. 

Elara laughed uncontrollably. Negan laughed with her watching her face beam with happiness. She laughed so hard that tears ran down her face. But, then, her expression began to change. Her smile dropped, and her laughter fell into a light sob. 

Negan pulled her to his chest again. 

“It’s okay, baby girl,” Negan said, brushing her hair back from her face, “I’m right fucking here.” He kissed her forehead. “Simon, how much longer?” 

“About 30 minutes, Negan,” Simon said, almost militantly, “but I can get us there in 15.”

Negan nodded, and Simon sped up. One of the first of their nonverbal conversations. 

Elara cried nearly silently into Negan’s chest for the remainder of the ride, soaking his dirty tee shirt with tears. When they arrived at the cabin, Simon hopped out and killed two walkers that had wondered up. Other than that, the place looked perfectly safe. Negan stepped out of the car, pushed the end of his bat through his belt loop, and then scooped Elara up. He carried her through the door, bridal style, just like he had done two weeks ago under much happier circumstances. He walked over and sat down on the bed, adjusting their bodies so that she was as comfortable as possible. Simon and Tanner set out on boarding up the windows, so Negan and Elara were finally alone. 

“Mrs. Hutchinson,” Elara whispered, her voice thick with tears and exhaustion. 

Negan didn’t have to ask any questions. He knew exactly what had happened, now. He pulled her tighter to him. 

“Baby girl, you had to protect yourself. If she came at you, then you had no choice. You have to promise me that you’ll protect yourself first, doll.” 

But Elara had already cried herself to sleep

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I am not a writer at all, but I had a mini-dream and felt very inspired to put it down on paper (on screen?) so please be gentle with your comments, but please please please comment! I love constructive criticism and I really love kudos! Also, I know the title says stuff about wolves but it has nothing to do with “The Wolves” from previous seasons. Love you all and if you aren’t an adult don’t read this.


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